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This is a guide for anyone who is interested in playing poker online. It is not a guide about poker strategy but rather a helpful tool in understanding what online poker is all about.
On any given day more than 100,000 people from all over the world sit down in front of their computers to play poker online. Online poker means playing poker in real time, in a virtual environment against real players. All that is needed is a computer and an internet connection. The popularity of poker has increased at an astounding speed the last few years. This is mainly because of three factors. There exists a greater availability due to the increase of online poker rooms, poker has become increasingly televised and the fact that an online qualifier has won the main event at the World Series of Poker two years in a row.
Online poker with real money began in 1999 and has since then sky rocketed. This has proved to be very profitable both for the online and offline poker rooms (mainly casinos), as many new players have joined the poker community and there is no end in sight. Today many new players start out playing online and then move on to play at casinos around the world. There are many advantages with online poker both for the beginner and the expert player. The beginners have the chance to play, watch and learn in the comfort of their own home. They can also start playing for real money at stakes that are much lower than what is possible in a real casino. The expert players mainly benefit from the great selection of games online, the faster pace (more money) and the option to play at multiple tables and sites.
You should know that poker is a game of skill and the good players will win money given time, but any player has a shot at winning against the best players in the world for a limited period of time. This is one of the things that make poker so fascinating and different from any other sport.
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